London has been battered by 50mph winds that have felled trees and caused travel chaos. Powerful gusts swept across the capital as the Met Office issued a yellow "be aware" weather alert for most of the country.

England's batting has not been up to scratch in this Ashes series but while the top six’s performances are a worry, Australia would be unwise to expect the pattern to be repeated in the return series later this year.

At risk of being dragged off to the Tower, it is reasonable to propose that England did better without the Queen today. Australia, on the other hand, may wish to enlist her immediately as the team mascot and banish any future talk of becoming a republic.